Elon Musk's brother slams Donald Trump's tariffs as 'permanent tax' on Americans

Elon Musk has slammed Donald Trump’s so-called “liberation day” tariff scheme calling it a “permanent tax” on Americans.

On Wednesday (2 April), US president Trump issued a swathe of sweeping global tariffs on goods imported into the country, sending stock markets around the world spiralling.

In a scathing post on X/Twitter, Kimbal Musk, the youngest brother of Elon Musk, slammed Trump as “the most high tax American President in generations” and outlined exactly why he thinks the tariffs are ultimately bad for the American people.

Musk wrote: “Through his tariff strategy, Trump has implemented a structural, permanent tax on the American consumer.

“Even if he is successful in bringing jobs on shore through the tariff tax, prices will remain high and the tax on consumption will remain (in) the form of higher prices because we are simply not as good at making all things.”

Kimbal Musk, like his older brother, is an entrepreneur, as well as a restaurateur and philanthropist, known for working in the sustainable food and urban farming sector.

He continued: “A tax on consumption also means less consumption. Which means less jobs. Which in turn leads to less consumption. And then even less jobs.

“America has incredible strengths. We should play to those strengths, and not be forced to play to our weaknesses. Same with the rest of the world.”

It comes as last month, Kimbal Musk sold $27 million worth of Tesla stock as Elon Musk’s electric car company faces challenges due to his activity in the US government as the head of DOGE.

But, the tide may perhaps be turning as people think Musk may be “soft launching” a Trump breakup because of the tariffs.

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